My personal favourite for something that should not be pie: grades at school. I don't like places where by decree, only something like the top 5% of students are allowed to get a grade of 1 or whatever the highest one is. If one year more children/students do great work than usual, they should all get recognition for it!
Lovely column, Mari. On the topic of the man-as-genuis trope, one could argue that Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have done more damage to the U.S. with their solipsism and out-of-control financial aggressiveness than many another ordinary person, whether male or female, and yet their genius still gets referred to and credited. They may be geniuses, but they're also jerks of the highest order. That should matter, too.
An aside, Arthur grew up without pets, now loves dogs since we have had two dogs, but insists that cats are evil. He has taken the hierarchy to a whole new level!
I read it more that the snail was relentlessly intent on killing me, even if one could argue that this is not stipulated. The essential premise seems to be that in return for getting the $10 million, you live a stressful life of constant vigilance and worry.
If so, I can't talk the snail out of its prime directive. But I could use some of my $10 million to build an escape-proof snail confinement. After all, it's a snail—even if it's immortal, it can't escape a metal box that is welded shut. Or, why not simply pay someone to transport the snail to Antarctica, from where it would take a snail longer to get to me than the number of years I have remaining in my life, even if the snail could swim through icy waters? Hell, I could even pay Elon Musk a million to launch the snail into earth orbit, unless of course it's a snail that's the size of a brachiosaurus. For that matter I could pay to have the snail sent to the moon, but that might use up all my money.
So yes, I'll gladly take the $10 million! I can finally buy that apartment in Trastevere with the rooftop garden terrace!
My personal favourite for something that should not be pie: grades at school. I don't like places where by decree, only something like the top 5% of students are allowed to get a grade of 1 or whatever the highest one is. If one year more children/students do great work than usual, they should all get recognition for it!
Lovely column, Mari. On the topic of the man-as-genuis trope, one could argue that Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have done more damage to the U.S. with their solipsism and out-of-control financial aggressiveness than many another ordinary person, whether male or female, and yet their genius still gets referred to and credited. They may be geniuses, but they're also jerks of the highest order. That should matter, too.
An aside, Arthur grew up without pets, now loves dogs since we have had two dogs, but insists that cats are evil. He has taken the hierarchy to a whole new level!
Re: snail dilemma
I read it more that the snail was relentlessly intent on killing me, even if one could argue that this is not stipulated. The essential premise seems to be that in return for getting the $10 million, you live a stressful life of constant vigilance and worry.
If so, I can't talk the snail out of its prime directive. But I could use some of my $10 million to build an escape-proof snail confinement. After all, it's a snail—even if it's immortal, it can't escape a metal box that is welded shut. Or, why not simply pay someone to transport the snail to Antarctica, from where it would take a snail longer to get to me than the number of years I have remaining in my life, even if the snail could swim through icy waters? Hell, I could even pay Elon Musk a million to launch the snail into earth orbit, unless of course it's a snail that's the size of a brachiosaurus. For that matter I could pay to have the snail sent to the moon, but that might use up all my money.
So yes, I'll gladly take the $10 million! I can finally buy that apartment in Trastevere with the rooftop garden terrace!